


Thunder and lightning

by Italianguy88



Series: Future of Justice [1]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Original Character(s), Post-Endgame
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-11
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-06 19:14:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5427488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Italianguy88/pseuds/Italianguy88
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A weapon of a fallen universe transforms a random boy into one of the most powerful beings on Earth, and he takes his place in the Team to learn how to become a hero, under the tutelage of the Justice League. But there are no such things as coincidence: he will soon learn that he is the key to close off a past still lingering, and open a future that nobody could have fathomed...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Awakening

**Author's Note:**

> I want to explain that this fic starts from the statement from the writers of the show that "there is no Speed Force in IJ". Fine. But then I asked myself: what if there should be one? What if there isn't, but there should be? Could there be a way to introduce it?  
> I guess that this fic is my attempt to answer these questions. You be the judge if I did it well.  
> Also, let me admit that I did absolutely rip off a lot of concepts from Marvel Comics' Thor. I just feel intrigued by the possibility of introducing a character based off him (to a degree) in this scenario.  
> I put the "violence" warning because I will use some graphic descriptions, just in case.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically, here is how all of it begins.

_16 November 2016, 09:48_ _UTC_

_JLA Watchtower_

"Calm down. There's no reason to panic!"

" _ **Easy for you to say! I just want to know what the hell...**_ "

"If you calmed down, we could tell you!"

Voices were trying to overcome each other in the medbay, where some members of the League were trying to restrain the guy who was clearly not wishing to be restrained.

Said guy, trying to stand up from his sitting position on the edge of a surgical bed, was a solid 6'8'', and his whole body was as muscled as it could be without looking pumped. His red hair and red, short beard surrounded a face and two grey eyes that were expressing a lot of panic. 

His clothes looked like something come from a D&D roleplay camp. An opaque chainmail that covered his torso; dark brown leather wrist guards; a studded belt  whose strap end was shaped as a bronze 'T'; blue pants that were constrained by leg wrappings, down to a pair of boots; and, currently laying on a nearby table, a  woollen reddish cape hemmed at the top with fur.

"What is your name?" asked Black Canary, increasingly surprised by the sheer amount of strength that the man was showing, as her efforts were contributing pretty much nothing, while Captain Atom's and Captain Marvel's faces were tense and strained.

The seemingly innocent question broke through the primal fear, and the man looked at her, stopping with his struggle. "David... David Graham." he answered, his breath still ragged.

"Alright, David. Now, we are going to explain what happened, as far as we know it. Trust us."

He stared at her, then he slowly nodded. At the same time, he lowered his arms, and both Captains took a breath, Marvel raising his eyebrows in silent surprise.

"We were alerted of the sudden appearance of an unidentified object that came from space and fell to Earth. When we arrived on the impact zone, we found you, as you currently are, unconscious, laying in the middle of a crater."

David glared, then he nodded. "Right. I remember... I was just laying around, after I had been walking in the woods for a while, when I saw this thing coming down, and threw myself on the ground." He stroke his forehead once or twice. "After I realized I was not dead, I looked inside the crater... and I was so surprised at seeing  _that_ lying there, that I went over and I touched it. Then, boom, darkness. Until, of course," he added with a sheepish grin, "I woke up here and I started trashing around."

Canary looked at him. "What did you find, exactly?"

The guy's right hand went to his hip, but found nothing; he stared. "I... I found... it..."

David looked oddly towards a wall occupied by medical instruments. Suddenly, his arm went up somewhat, as if hesitating, then he stretched it all the way before him.

Crashing sounds and some distant exclamations were heard, and then with an impressive 'CRASH' something burst through the wall (and through the instruments, that fell on the ground with their insides broken and twisted) and landed firmly in his hand.

He looked at the disaster he had just caused, then at the others' dumbfounded expressions. "He he.... er, whoops?" he tried, with a small and guilty smile.

Black Canary was the first to shook herself out of her surprise. "This is what you found?"

David nodded, and lifted it up a bit.

It was a hammer, made of what looked like iron; its shape was more like that of a mallet, though. It had a rather short handle, barely long enough to allow him to grip it with two hands.

Through the door, the glowing figure of Doctor Fate appeared; David jumped up a bit, realizing he had stared at the hammer blocking out everything else. Somehow, it felt as if before he had been missing something, but as soon as it had been in his hand, everything had been in place once again.

"As I suspected." Fate declared, with his deep voice echoing in the medbay. "He and the hammer share a unique bond. It is clear he was not chosen randomly."

The subject of said sentence stared at him, not without some degree of fear (there was something in that guy that creeped him out), and, as a child asking his teacher a question, he raised two fingers: "Um... excuse me... but what do you mean, exactly, with... not chosen randomly?"

Two eyes impossible to be decyphered returned the glare.

"I am the Lord of Order; I can discern between what belongs to this universe and what does not."

It took a long two seconds for David to realize the implication, and for his eyebrows to shot up as high as they could.

"Wait... _Universe?_ " he repeated, jumping down from the bed.

"Yes. This weapon... is something I have never felt. A tool whose ability to store and summon mystical energies is unlike anything I've ever seen. And its mere nature, its very energies, tell to those who have the right senses that it is not a thing of this world. But of another."

"Another universe...?" said a bewildered Captain Marvel. "Cool!"

"But why is it here, then? How could it cross from its universe to ours?" Black Canary interjected; she was not one of the Leaguers more comfortable with magic stuff.

Doctor Fate walked (or floated) up to David, who almost took a step back. He raised two fingers.

"I do not know. But I think that the answers are to be found within him."

The fingers touched his foreground, and everything blurred out of sight.

A new scene focused before his eyes.

Someone who looked just like him was kneeling near the body of a creature so enormous that its body was apparently limitless. The figure was wheezing and coughing blood.

He had a defeated look in his eyes, but when those met the hammer that was lying nearby, something in his expression changed. He slowly, painfully crawled to it and grabbed it.

In a raspy and dying voice, that still held an impressive amount of power however, the figure declared: "It truly is the twilight for us. But not for you."

Gritting his teeth he rotated his arm and the hammer, faster and faster; then he suddenly let go, and the hammer surged away, bristling with some strange glow.

The man fell down again, but he kept his eyes on the bright spot rapidly disappearing.

"Go find a new master... a worthy one... and... serve him... well..." he breathed.

His head gradually went limp, and he didn't move any more.

The vision disappeared as quickly as it had formed, and David found himself where he had left. His head was spinning so much he held it between his hands.

Fate lowered his hand.

"It is as I said." he said solemnly. This hammer belongs to a universe where the gods of the nordic myths really walked the Earth, and where they eventually succumbed to their Ragnarok. But their most powerful weapon survived their demise, and sought a master that could be worthy to wield its power."

David looked at him, horrified. His brain was hearing the words, but refusing to accept them. The Lord of Order noticed it, and with a hint of smugness (or so it seemes) he told him: "If you do not wish to believe him, look for yourself."

Following his gesture, David looked at his hammer. As he was staring, something was triggered, and shiny symbols of white energy slowly appeared on its surface.

They formed a name, and he could not deny that he could understand it.

" _Mjǫllnir_." David breathed.

"As in..." Marvel asked tentatively, his mouth hanging open.

"As in the hammer of Thor, the Norse God of the Thunder and the Storm." Doctor Fate completed.

David looked up, his face blank; then, after a few moments, a smile creeped up on his face.

"So, bottom line, I found a mythical weapon, and I received the powers of a god." he commented. Chuckling, he added: "Weirdest birthday present ever!"

-

It took David a long time to wrap his mind around the concept. Luckily, his mind was the least occupied thing in the next few hours.

Even if many Leaguers were more than skeptical about Fate's statements, they withheld their judgement, and instead decided to subject him to a thorough examination.

"Thorough", as defined by their instruments' ability, of course; which proved somewhat lacking when faced with the task at hand. With a density of his tissues to rival Superman's, it proved impossible to take a blood sample; a DNA sample ended up being much easier to get, but when the data was fed to the computers, these showed a dangerous tendency of overloading. The Atom gaped at the screens for a long time, before declaring (not without a scared glance at David, who was innocently looking at him) that the code was one of the most complicated he had ever seen.

The hammer proved as difficult as its owner. All the kinds of analysis that the best minds of the League could think of did not help in getting some answers about its material; the only thing they could determine, other than its sponge-like behaviour in terms of magical and electrical energies, was that it was made of an incredibly resilient metal.

And, no matter how much they pushed, or if they pushed all together, it proved impossible to lift for anyone. Even Captain Marvel couldn't make it budge, much to his irritation.

After the poking and prodding, David was asked to do something more active. He lifted a giant device to test his super-strength, and he was subjected to attacks by sudden swarm of robotic drones, to test his durability and his reflexes. He didn't know what was more troubling, the somber (and in some cases, worried) looks that he got after he had done the lifting, the lack of anything painful when sprayed with MG fire (it felt more like gentle prodding by someone's finger), or the rapidity with which he spun around and completely crushed a drone that had tried to sneak in from behind him. Or perhaps the fear when he was asked if he could summon any lightning; but what he summoned was a bolt so powerful that it seemed to him that the whole station shuddered.

Then, he was subjected to a complete mental scan by Martian Manhunter. He nodded with a small smile at his reassurances that he would not delve too much into his private memories, but it wasn't a cakewalk. As soon as he sat down, he felt a very odd sensation, as if someone had hit him with something soft that had bounced off his skull, but not physically; frowning, he saw Manhunter's eyes widening in surprise.

"Did I just block him off?" David thought, once more marveling at one more thing he proved able to do.

When the alien tried again, he tried to relax, and to allow his mind to be accessed. This time, the touch did make contact; it wasn't a painful or annoying feeling, but he was still glad when, after thirty seconds, Manhunter let the contact go.

At last, they asked him if he felt that the transformation was permanent. Struck by the thought, he stared down at the hammer. "Boy, I hope not!" he exclaimed, sweating. His mind went to his figure, the one he had before he had picked up the hammer; in that very moment, the whole world blinked out and in of existence before his eyes, and when it stopped, he found his perspective changed: where he was now taller by a head than most of the heroes, now he was looking at them from a lower point. Looking down at his body, he was immensely relieved to see it normal as before: with the same cargo pants and red jacket than before. Running towards a reflecting panel, he was even more grateful to see the usual messy brown hair and the hesitant stubble on his chin; the only things that did not change were the eyes, for some reasons.

His right hand felt somewhat empty, though; looking down again, he found it closed. Opening it, he saw what looked like a miniature version of the hammer inside.

"In the legends, one of the powers of Thor's hammer was the ability to shrink down." was Doctor Fate's comment.

"Good to know." David mused. "Let's see if it works the other way around."

Closing his hands again, he focused on the picture of him when transformed. And before the Leaguers' fascinated eyes, in a blink the boy was replaced again by the avatar of a mythological god. 

When everything had been done, he emerged from the training room feeling more uneasy than before. Everyone was staring at him with what he perceived as disbelieving admiration and worried fear; well, everyone except Batman, of course. He was just staring, and creeping the hell out of him.

"We have to discuss between ourselves our findings; as soon as we'll decide something, we'll get to you." Canary's voice was steady, but not with the same warmth as before.

David shrugged. "Alright. Oh, and if you decide to exile me to an asteroid or something, can I get a last phone call?" he teased, as they went away, leaving him alone.

How long could he continue to joke, before freaking out?

-

"He has impressive potential." Batman declared.

Green Arrow looked at him. "For good or for evil?" he asked rethorically.

"Both." the Dark Knight replied flatly. "Even now, with all of his inexperience, he could be a match for our heaviest hitters. ESpecially since his powers are mystical, and that's an angle where both Superman and Captain Marvel are vulnerable."

The latter shifted in his seat, then he spoke up. "But why looking first at the worst case scenario? Sure, he is powerful; this alone would make him a very valuable ally."

J'onn nodded. "In his mind, I saw nothing to indicate dangerous or anti-social behavior. He is rather shy and well-intentioned; he feels that he didn't know what to make of his life, and he has found a chance to do something for his fellow men."

"About that... what happened when you tried to read his mind?" Aquaman asked pointedly.

The martian paused, then said: "It may be connected to both his mystical nature and his powers coming from another universe, but his resilience to psychic contact is nothing short of astounding. He allowed me entry after the first attempt, but had he continued to resist, I do not think I would have been able to break through his mental defenses." Looking around him, he stated flatly: "I think it would be safe to say that he is almost invulnerable to any kind of mind control."

"Meaning that no villain is going to control him; but likewise, should he cross the road, we have no hope of taking him down that way." commented the Flash, crossing his arms.

"All the more reasons to make sure he becomes an ally, instead of an opponent." Red Tornado pointed out.

Wonder Woman nodded: "Agreed. If he feels lost, giving him a mission of justice would make him a mighty hero, if he even possesses a fraction of the power of the Gods of the Olympus."

"He seems to posses a bit more than a fraction..." muttered the Atom.

"Right. He almost broke the strength measurement device, and the lightning he summoned was so strong it almost punched through the insulation and fried the Watchtower's systems!" Captain Marvel remarked, his eyebrows raised.

"So, he needs training. As of now, he would be more of a liability than anything else." Dinah said.

"Agreed. Which means that, even if he just turned eighteen, we cannot induct him in the League." Batman confirmed.

"Soooo..." Green Arrow smirked.

"Yes." Black Canary nodded.

-

The doors opened, and David turned around.

Green Arrow, Batman, Black Canary and Red Tornado walked up to him.

"So? On which asteroid am I going to spend the rest of my days?" he asked jokingly.

Green Arrow pointed a finger at him, trying to not let his grin show. "We keep that as an option. But as of now, we've got something else on our minds. How would you feel about giving a shot at the hero business?"

David gaped, glancing at the four of them.

Then he broke into a huge smile. "Well, I'd be happy too... I mean...," he nervously stroked the back of his head, "I didn't know very much what to do now that I've turned eighteen and I went out of foster care. So, I'd sure like to help out. Besides," he finished with sparkling eyes, "I don't very much feel like robbing a bank and strolling away with loads of cash, only to have you guys hot on my heels!"

Canary smiled at him, and he felt relieved, and more excited than before.

"We're glad to hear that. However," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "you won't be inducted in the League."

For a second, David felt disappointed, then he shrugged. "It figures. Right now I am even afraid of leaning against the wall; I wouldn't be much help in the field." Huffing, David asked: "So, what's it's gonna be? You're going to tutor me or something?"

"Or something." Batman said.

_

_Same day, 14:13 UTC_

 

Holding impromptu reunions between all the members of the Team currently on the Watchtower was a habit, and that day was no exception.

But this time, the doors opened, and Batman, Black Canary and Red Tornado unexpectedly joined them, followed by someone else who lagged behind, a bit unsurely.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we have a new member for you." said Dinah.

Aqualad stared at them; that was a bit strange, since usually the League refrained from forcing them to induct someone in their ranks. If they did... well, it meant that it was the most viable option.

"Very well." he said, not exactly in a happy tone, but willing to give it a chance. "Can we meet him?"

The Leaguers turned around, and the fourth figure stepped forwards.

The young heroes glared at him with a mixture of expectation and bewilderment. Perhaps more of the latter, given his abnormal stature, his powerful physique, his odd costume, and the strange hammer hanging from his belt.

"Everyone, this is Thor. Thor... welcome to the Team!" Canary said, smiling.

The newcomer tried an uncertain, nervous smile and a wave with his hand.

"Um... hello."


	2. Introducing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is where our hero is introduced both to the Team, and to the less enticing aspects of his transformation. Also, something stirs, and we'll have to wait a bit to see where it will lead...

_16 November 2016, 14:18 UTC_

_JLA Watchtower_

"So, let us get this straight. You say you have the power of a mythological god?" Beast Boy's question was replete with diffidence.

David shrugged uncertainly, and made a timid gesture to a certain blonde girl who was eyeing him curiously. "Maybe I'm wrong... but isn't it the same thing with her  
and Wonder Woman? Blessed with the power of the Greek gods or something?"

Wonder Girl snickered, but said: "Guilty as charged."

"Dude, this is so crash!" Kid Flash said, grinning quite widely.

"Says you." muttered Thor.

This reply earned him more than one puzzled glare, and more than he could avoid to notice.

Shrugging, he explained: "Honestly, maybe one day I'll be jumping up and down for this... but now, I'm more scared than anything else. If some of you had offered to  
shake hands, I'd be afraid of breaking it. Heck, I'm even afraid of breathing wrong and amking a mess of... of something!"

"Seriously?" Batgirl asked, puzzled.

"Can't blame him. The first time I tried to fight crime, after I got the Beetle stuck in my back.... well, it didn't turn out well." Blue Beetle observed.

Aqualad reached David and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's understandable to be scared; especially in your case, since even the League has been impressed by your raw power. But you don't have to worry that much; if  
anything, we're pretty though."

Thor answered with a smile and a nod. "Thanks. I'm just... trying to come to terms, you know? This is pretty shocking."

"Sure it is, but c'mon, dude. Think of the bright side! Now you can lift a tank without breaking a sweat, have that tank fire at you the whole day without even messing  
your 'do, and you can fly! Could you ask for anything that's more crash?" Kid Flash interjected, in his usual over-the-top way. Thor quirked an amused eyebrow.

"First of all, I'm not sure what 'crash' means for you. Second, I think I could ask for being able to do that without being afraid of injuring anyone."

Before he could say anything else, however, Superboy's voice reached him: "Catch!"

Turning around, confused, he saw three shapes coming over at him, fast. Acting on pure instict, he lifted a hand to grab them. Two landed safely; the third instead  
shattered and exploded.

After a second of staring at the smashed egg in his hand, its contest dripping from his palm to the floow, David looked at Superboy. "What the..?"

The clone (it still was a bit hard to see him as such, however) pointed at him and said: "Surprise handling exercise. Two out of three eggs not broken, it's not bad."

"...Oh."

"That was a little trick we came up with, back in the day." Aqualad explained. "If you can catch an egg without breaking it, then you're on the right track."

David nodded, getting the point. "I see; got it." Then, pointing with his other hand at the stained floor, he added: "But I'm not cleaning that up."

As the others laughed, he joined in.

_Maybe I can make this work..._

-

"...so, after my parents died I didn't have anyone else to turn to, therefore I went straight into foster care. And just when I finally got out of here... well, I was  
pretty lost... until a few hours ago." said David.

"You've come to the right place, then." Robin opined.

Faced with an inquiring eyebrow, he explained: "We have our fair share of lost teenage superheroes around here. Especially our newest member."

"Who is he?" Thor asked.

"She's a she. And she should be here any moment soon!"

And just then, a robotic voice suddenly spoke up, making David jump up at the foreign noise.

" _Recognized. Supergirl, B27._ "

"What the...?!"

"That's just the Zeta Tube saying that she's here. They are our way to get in and out of here. Pretty crash." Kid Flash was the quickest at answering him non-  
chalantly.

True enough, after a few seconds a female figure came into the room, her feet a good deal above the floor.

Exceptionally tall (around six feet, no kidding), with long blond hair, her Kryptonian lineage was made apparent by the red and blue color scheme, and the big "S" on  
her chest; oh, and by the flying too. The most unsettling difference was the red skirt under her belt.

If she was difficult not to see, it was the same for him, because as Supergirl looked at the assembled group she immediately saw the immense, bearded figure with them.

Floating to them, she said: "Hi, guys. Um... any news I should be aware of?"

Kaldur gestured to David and said: "This is our newest member, Thor."

Realizing he had folded his arms (a pathetic concession to his shyness), the above stated gave a nervous smile and tried: "Hi. Pleased to meet you."

Two eyes scanned him, perhaps with more than just a standard human glared.

"Whoa... what are you? And... don't you seem a bit... old for the Team?"

With overplayed nonchalance, Thor lifted a finger. "Ok, answer number one, it seems I'm an avatar of a mythological Norse god, thanks to getting my hands on a weapon  
of a lost universe." Lifting another one, he continued: "Answer number two, I may seem an adult in this body, but in truth I still have some milk on the corners of my  
mouth."

Chuchkling, Supergirl offered him a hand. "Nice. You have no idea how glad I am to see a new guy around here."

David took the hand and shook it, registering with pleasure its strong grip and the lack of any negative reaction on her face.

"Let me guess - is it because you're no longer the rookie now?" he joked.

The Kryptonian, taken aback, nodded and laughed. "Yeah, pretty much."

Everyone joined in in good humour.

"So, if you're some kind of god, why aren't you speaking with 'thee' and 'thou' and all that kind of stuff?"

"That happens only in the comics." David shrugged.

"As if our lives weren't stuff for comic books enough." Superboy mused, eliciting a few approving nods.

Just then, Black Canary, Red Tornado and a blonde man in a white vest came into the room.

"David, we believe it would be better if you returned home, now." said the former.

"Huh? Oh, right. Cannot disappear so suddenly after that hammer fell from the sky, huh? Someone could get suspicious, I guess!"

Aqualad stared at him.

"Don't let your enthusiasm fool you. Both the League and the Team have powerful and resourceful enemies; the less they know about us, the best. And given your powers,  
it's better to keep them in the dark as much as possible."

David chuckled briefly. "Right. So they won't be able to kidnap me, brainwash me and send me to kick this satellite out of the sky, and then kill Superman in cold  
blood?"

His expression changed when he saw how everyone was glaring at him. He raised his hands apologetically.

"Sorry, that was out of line. But I get it, okay? If David Graham disappears right after this thing," and he moved his hammer slightly, "came crashing down on Earth,  
these guys will be able to do the math. Message received."

Kaldur's expression softened up a bit. "Very well. We expect you tomorrow; we will need to begin your training."

"Can't wait!" was Thor's response, and even he couldn't have told if it was in an exciting or a sarcastic tone.

-

_Same day, 15:11 UTC_

_Mission Distric, San Francisco, CA_

The flat, full with the boxes that kept his previous life (the life when his parents were still alive), welcomed it with appreciated silence.

David locked the door behind him and plopped down on the couch like a rock.

He was grateful for the feeling of being in his own body once again; of not having to be mindful of causing damage or injuries to whatever (or whoever) he touched.

And he was also grateful for the indifference with which the two or three guys he had passed by while walking home (since he had followed Canary's advice, and from the  
Zeta Tube he had reached a secluded spot half a mile from his place) had treated him.

His hand absentmindedly went to the top of his shirt, under which he could feel the metallic chain and the tiny shape of his hammer.

Without an impelling reason, he muttered: "Christ! Now what the hell?"

Surprised a little by that sudden exclamation, he huffed mightily, got back on his feet and went to the bedroom, as cluttered and as bare as the living room. But the  
bed was there waiting for him, and for him it was more than enough.

Mentally declaring that he would meditate further on the extraordinary turn his life had gotten, David allowed gravity to work and his bed to work his magic. Without  
even realizing his own tiredness, in a few minutes he was sound asleep.

If his body went limp, however, his mind now raced more than ever; and the dream machine went into full swing.

First, there were the images of the day: the fireball coming down with a deafening sound; the faces of the League and the Team; the reflection of his new alter ego,  
tall and impressive.

But then, something shifted; the scenery dissolved, and when it reformed it was as a white, unforgiving landscape.

The second thing he registered was the wind, cold and furious, that moved his hair and his cape like naval signals in a squall; but he felt no discomfort. Turning  
around, with ice and snow crunching under his boots, he wondered what was going on.

Something caught his eye; squinting against the snow, David saw something coming at him. Fast.

In fact, so fast that barely a second later it passed him like a lightning. And barely a tenth of a second later, his hammer (how was it in his hand?) came alive, and  
began to follow it with implacable eagerness. Too bad that he was dragged along, as if his hand were glued to the handle.

Struggling to regain his breath, David felt his shoulder ache, and his limb strain, under what it seemed like a fantastic speed. The landscape had disappeared,  
replaced by something like a white tunnel, above and beneath him. And before him...

Before him was what had passed him. A bright figure that changed shape in a furious rythm, cyclically.

Thor closed his eyes for a second, shaking his head to try and clear it; when he opened them again, he was closer to him, and got a better look.

Unfortunately, it did nothing to help him get his bearings. The figure was a running man, wearing what seemed to be the yellow and red uniform of Kid Flash; however,  
whoever he was, he sure wasn't the young, hyperactive boy that had just become his teammate.

Completely lost, still struggling to hold on, David called with what seemed like a weak rasp: "Kid Flash...?"

The man didn't stop running, didn't even slow down. But he did turn his face; and even if his eyes were covered by the goggles, and the mask covered part of his  
features, it was apparent that he was in pain, and he was very, very scared.

An arm shot up and pointed towards him; was it to ask for help? Was it to grab him and drag him towards what was waiting for him?

David didn't know what it was, but he was pretty sure he didn't actually want to know. He frantically tried to pull back, somehow, struggling against what seemed like the weight  
of the world.

And then he woke up.

His eyes darted right and left, up and down; only after that, David let out the breath he was holding.

Sitting up, he took notice of the light peering through the shades, and the thumping noise in his chest.

Unable to understand what exactly his reaction was, he did what he always did.

"Gee," he said sarcastically, "I must be ahead in my schedule for losing my mind!"


End file.
